There is Nothing like a Dame A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright© 2017, 2018 & 2019 Bronwen Welsh A sequel to 'The Might-Have-Been Girl' and 'All the World's a Stage'

Chapter 61   An awkward dinner

I confess I found part of this chapter very difficult to write. If it hadn't been for Emma, David and Reggie who proof my efforts, insisting that I include it, I would have preferred to gloss over it, or indeed not mention it at all.

On Friday afternoon we drove to Bridchester. Reggie had a day off and I was on holiday. By arriving early we could spend some time with the children. Penny, David's daughter, was now in her early teens and a really sweet-natured girl. She arrived home from school in the late afternoon, and Thomas, Stella and Elizabeth rushed up to greet her like they hadn't seen her in months rather than just that morning..

Being some years older than the other three children, they really looked up to her and in some ways she was like a 'little mother' to them and loved helping Emma with their care. I knew that she had a birthday coming up and resolved to ask Emma what I could buy her. The last thing I wanted to be was a rich aunty giving her gifts that her parents couldn't afford. I thought that perhaps a bracelet would be suitable, but I'd take Emma's advice, and that is indeed what she agreed I should buy. In due course a pretty charm bracelet was purchased in Stratford and Penny was thrilled with it. I suppose buying jewelry for a girl is a sign she is growing up.

As usual, the children were happy to see us and while we didn't single out Thomas, it was wonderful to see him looking so healthy again. I know that he and I will always have a special relationship thanks to my bone marrow working away within him.

Emma suddenly appeared and said, “Penny, don't forget about your sleep-over at Marcie's.”

Clever Emma! I don't know how she had arranged it, but she was getting Peny out of the house while we had our discussion. If she had stayed home and been asked to leave the room, it would have worried her that something bad was going to happen.

After she left and the youngsters had their tea and were put to bed, after a story from Aunty Harriet of course, the four of us sat down to a roast dinner. It was delicious and we finished off with homemade apple pie and ice cream. I refused 'seconds', tempting though it was, in case I didn't fit into the costume I had already been measured for.

Finally, Emma served coffee and 'after dinner mints'; then she looked at Reggie and I and said “Well, you two, haven't you kept us on tenterhooks long enough? What's this all about?”

I was the spokeswoman, after all, I spoke for a living.

“Emma, David, you know how important family is to me, to us actually, but especially to me. If it hadn't been for you two, I certainly wouldn't be where I am today.” I meant in the theatre, but left unsaid I mightn't have been Reggie's wife, but a confused young man and very unhappy.

Emma smiled. “If you still think you owe us something, you repaid it a thousand times over when you gave your bone marrow to Thomas.”

“But that's what I mean,” I said. “We're family, so of course I did that. No, there is something else. I am doing very well financially at present, perhaps better than you know. I also have an economist for a husband and he stops me frittering my money away.”

Everyone laughed at that.

“The thing is,” and here I could feel myself reddening, “We don't feel it's right to hang onto all that money ourselves when some of it could be put to better use elsewhere.” I took a deep breath. “The fact is, the fact is..” Here was I, a person who made her money speaking words and now I was lost for them.

Reggie took over. “What Harriet is trying to say is that we are very comfortably off and would like you to accept enough money from us to pay off your mortgage.”

In other circumstances, I might have laughed. Emma and David sat there with their mouths open. David recovered first.

“You mean you'd like to buy into the equity of our house?”

I had recovered my voice by now. “No, no, not at all, we want to give you the money to pay out the mortgage. The house would then be one hundred percent yours.”

“Do you have any idea of how much we owe the bank, Harriet?” said Emma. “It's quite a lot because we've had to take out extra loans over the years.”

“I don't know,” I admitted. “But provided it's not millions, it won't be a problem.”

David laughed. “No it's not millions.” Then he told us how much it was. Emma was right, it was quite a lot and I wondered how they had managed to keep up the repayments on one salary. However, Reggie and I had discussed how much we could afford to give them, and the amount they owed was well under that.

“That's fine,” I said. “People in the theatre seem to think I'm worth paying quite well nowadays.”

“But what if something was to go wrong and you couldn't earn any more?” asked Emma, ever the practical one.

“Oh, we've discussed that,” I said. “As you know, we own Mum's old house here in Brid and also the apartment in Stratford, as well as some blue-chip shares. We'll never be on the breadline.”

“Would you mind giving us a few minutes to discuss this?” said David. “It's come as a bit of a shock.”

“Of course not, we'll go and sit in the lounge while you talk it over,” said Reggie.

As we sat there on our own, I said to Reggie “Did we handle that alright?”

“I think so,” he replied. “I must say I've never seen you so lost for words before.”

I managed a smile. “I read a saying once that it's easier to receive than give. I was so afraid they would feel insulted and perhaps refuse our offer. It's not their fault; they're bringing up a family of four children on one wage. Alright, we give them money for Stella and that's only right, but it must still be a struggle, having to pay a mortgage as well.”

Just then, Emma and David came into the room and sat down.

“We accept your offer of course,” said David. “We'd be foolish not to, but although this sounds strange, we have a condition for acceptance; if something happens in the future that puts you both in a difficult financial situation and let's face it, none of us knows what lies ahead, then you must let us take out another mortgage and pay you back. Is that a deal?”

“It's a deal,” said Reggie and I simultaneously. We got up, Reggie and David shook hands and then spontaneously had a 'manhug', Emma and I hugged, and then it was hugs all round.

As we sat over another cup of coffee, Emma said. “That was such a surprise; we had no idea what you were going to say.”

David said “We thought that perhaps you wanted to take Stella back.”

“Oh no!” I replied. “She's so happy here and part of the family. We couldn't possibly give her the home life she get s here, and we'll still pay for her of course, that's a totally separate arrangement.”

And so the big drama was over. To be honest, I'd much rather perform in front of fifteen hundred people I didn't know, than face just two family members like I had just done.

In due course, the financial arrangements were made and the money transferred. Some months later I met up with Emma for lunch and some shopping in York and she was wearing a dress I hadn't seen before.

“That's a pretty dress,” I said, and she blushed.

“It's the first one I've been able to buy in ages, thanks to you,” she said. I hadn't realised things were that tight with their finances.

“Now Emma, it was agreed that there was to be no mention of our arrangement,” I said.

“Sorry, I'll try not to forget next time,” she replied.”But you know that's impossible don't you?”

So now you know why I was reluctant to recount this episode. The last thing I want to seem is 'Lady Bountiful' distributing largesse. If it hadn't been for Emma and David, I would never have been in the position to help them out. I was just sharing some of my good fortune, and was very happy to do so.

Back at Stratford, we started rehearsals for 'The Tempest'. Sir John McKenna was playing Prospero. I had performed with him previously in Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Duncan Morgan confided in me that when he was offered the part, he said he would do it on the condition that they try to get me for the part of Miranda, his daughter. I could scarcely believe that one of the great knights of the theatre thought that highly of me.

It's a true saying that when you are involved in an enterprise with someone of exceptional talent, whether it's playing a top tennis player, or performing with one of the greatest Shakespearean actors, they really make you lift your game as well, and such was the case with Sir John.and me. He has so much experience on the stage. I think he was happy that I was word-perfect for my part when we first started to rehearse, no walking around with the book in one hand. In fact, at one point when he had a momentary 'dry', he glanced at me with that 'help me' look and I quietly fed him his next line.

Later in the wings, he said “Thank you my dear, it's good to know that someone knows my lines better than I do!”

Since I was now in Stratford on Saturdays, I helped out at the Youth Theatre group. The number of young people had stabilized at about forty which was quite a lot for Madge and the other staff to handle, so an extra person was always welcome. Some of the original students had left, realising that professional theatre is not all about red carpets and glamorous gowns; it really does involve a lot of hard work. We had made a few finds, really talented young people who we felt sure would be a success on the professional stage, and several had be en engaged to take small parts in the ISC productions. For some, we suggested that they think of the local amateur theatre as a place that could use their talents on a part-time basis while they pursued another career. I have seen some of them in amateur productions and they perform very well.

The season of 'The Tempest' started and as had become a tradition, Reggie came down from York and sat with Dale and Frances a few rows back in the front stalls.

When we finally took our curtain calls, hand in hand, to a standing ovation I felt so proud but humbled at the same time. I turned to Sir John and curtseyed and he bowed and then raised my hand to his lips and kissed it. That hadn't been rehearsed, it was just a spontaneous mark of respect between two actors.

To be concluded